Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho will look to make his first title defense against heavy-handed Melvin Manhoef in the main event of Bellator 155 on May 20 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho.

Carvalho’s (12-1) second-round body kick knockout of Brandon Halsey at Bellator 144 was the third biggest oddsmaker upset in 2015, and extended his current winning streak to 12. The 29-year-old will be making his fourth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and has an impressive finishing rate of 83 percent.

With a resume of knockouts as violent as Manhoef (30-12-1), the former K-1 and Strikeforce veteran, is fresh off his violent knockout of Hisaki Kato at Bellator 146 in November. Now the 39-year-old is in position to lay claim to the Bellator 185-pound MMA title, before returning to kickboxing competition in the newly founded Bellator Kickboxing league.

In the co-main event, former Bellator MMA Featherweight champ Pat Curran will return to action for the first time since June, when he faces the always-dangerous Georgi Karakhanyan.

It’s hard to find a Bellator MMA fighter with as many memorable moments for the Scott Coker-led promotion as Curran (21-7). The former featherweight kingpin has been involved in wars with a who’s who of the Bellator 145-pound division, including champion Daniel Straus, Patricio Freire, Daniel Weichel and Joe Warren.

Karakhanyan (24-5-1) made a splash in his return to Bellator MMA in 2015, choking out Bubba Jenkins in his first fight for the Viacom-owned promotion since 2011. Now, the Millenia MMA standout will put his knack for submitting opponents (14x) to the test against Curran, a fighter who has only been submitted once in 28-fights.

Bellator 155 airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

About The Author

José began his career as a mixed martial arts journalist while still enrolled at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University. Since graduating in May 2013, he has attended dozens of high profile UFC fight cards as a credentialed member of the media, providing live cage side coverage through his articles and videos. His work has appeared on UFC.com, ArizonaSports.com and AZCentral. He is also currently one of the main contributors on Power MMA Show at Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, one of the first all MMA radio shows on a major radio station.